Check out the view from connections ahead of Saturday's Breeders' Cup action from Del Mar.
9.41 - Longines Breeders' Cup Classic
City Of Troy’s Del Mar date with destiny has finally arrived and on Saturday he will attempt to etch his name into the history books when lining up for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
It is a race courted by all associated with the son of Justify since he proved unstoppable at two and the momentum has continued to build and build throughout his three-year-old season, now reaching a crescendo in California ahead of the final start of the colt’s somewhat brilliant career.
The Classic has proven something of a holy grail for trainer Aidan O’Brien and his quest to get his hands on the dirt feature has seen him saddle some of Ballydoyle’s best in the $7million contest.
Giant’s Causeway has come closest to breaking O’Brien’s Classic curse when agonisingly denied by Tiznow in 2000, while the likes of Galileo, Hawk Wing and George Washington have all tried and failed when tasked with conquering America’s richest purse.
O’Brien now prepares to saddle the horse he regards as the best to have ever graced his hallowed Tipperary training grounds, as the imperious Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International winner tackles the dirt surface on which his Triple Crown-winning sire made his name.
He said: “There’s so many things that are going to be new and different to him. Obviously, we prepared him in Europe and he has an awful lot to overcome. Ryan (Moore, jockey) is vastly experienced now. Dreams don’t always come true, but we’re very happy with where we are and at the moment, we don’t think we could have done any more.
“Winning the Classic is more difficult than any other achievement in sport.”
In a truly international contest, Yoshito Yahagi will attempt to add the Classic to his decorated CV with leading Japanese contender Forever Young, the Saudi and UAE Derby scorer who went oh so close to plundering the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs earlier in the year.
Yahagi saddled a memorable Breeders’ Cup double the last time the festival was held at Del Mar, and his hopeful arrives on the back of a confidence-boosting win in the Japan Dirt Classic in early October.
“Everything has gone well since he has arrived at Del Mar, he settled in well and we’re very happy with how he has been training,” said Hiroshi Ando, racing manager to owner Susumu Fujita.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result in the Kentucky Derby, we had no luck in that race but we had always planned to come back to the Breeders’ Cup after that run in the Kentucky Derby. We are on plan and he had a great win in his prep race to prepare for this.”
Joining Forever Young among a three-strong raiding party from the Far East is last year’s runner-up Derma Sotogake and Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup silver medallist Ushba Tesoro, who was fifth at Santa Anita 12 months ago.
However, it is City Of Troy the Forever Young team fear, as their son of Real Steel bids for Classic glory from an inside draw.
“Obviously, number one is a very tough barrier number, but it is what it is, we have to go through it,” continued Ando.
“There are three Japanese runners and they are all very talented, but also from Europe there is City Of Troy, who is an amazing horse. We have seen City Of Troy’s performances and he moves fantastically. He is an amazing horse, a champion horse – and we are very honoured to race against him, he is one of the best horses in the world and of course a very dangerous horse to us in this race.”
The Classic’s most successful trainer Bob Baffert has called on a familiar name and a rare European jockey to win the race in Frankie Dettori to partner his California Crown Stakes third Newgate.
However, America’s main hope is the Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness, who claimed last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in emphatic style.
Owned by the Repole Stable operation of New York businessman Mike Repole, the colt has established himself as North America’s leading middle-distance performer on dirt thanks to success at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes.
“The time off since the Travers has done him well and we’re all very pleased with how he is heading into the race,” said Ed Rosen, general manager of Repole Stable.
“To use a cliche, you want to keep them happy and healthy once they have hit top form and Todd seems to be very happy with Fierceness since his most recent workouts.
“It’s very exciting and it’s been a build-up over time and now we are getting closer, you begin to get a little bit more nervous. When you compete in the Classic here, you need to be at your very best to win.”
7.41 - Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
There could be a fitting end to a fantastic season for Believing in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with George Boughey’s filly backed to “get her skates on” and finally get her moment in the sun in California.
The four-year-old has been a model of consistency for connections, only once outside the top four in a multitude of the year’s hottest sprint contests and winning twice along the way. Ryan More was the man in the saddle when she struck at the Curragh in the summer and the 41-year-old’s big-match experience is backed to come to the fore when he climbs aboard his willing ally at Del Mar on Saturday.
Harry Herbert, managing director of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: “Ryan is such a go-to man and has ridden some wonderful horses for us over the years. He knows this filly well and he knows the track well and he’s pleased to be riding her.
“She gives you everything and you know when you ride Believing she absolutely leaves not an ounce in the tank. She’s like her father Mehmas and when you have a horse like that it’s exciting to come to a championship race knowing you will get everything she can give.”
This will be Believing’s 10th start of 2024, but Herbert is still backing the ultra-tough speedster to put her best foot forward.
He added: “Hopefully she’s ready to run well and she will have to get her skates on around here. She’s drawn well which is great and makes a big difference – if she can break well, she is drawn well and she seems to be in great form. She’s had a busy season, but she seems bright and George couldn’t be happier with her.”
It is Archie Watson’s Bradsell who has proved a thorn in Believing’s side, winning both the Nunthorpe and Flying Five Stakes with the Boughey-trained sprinter in second. A narrow defeat on testing ground in the Prix de l’Abbaye brought an end to Bradsell’s imperious winning run since returning from a career-threatening injury and he now searches for one last hurrah Stateside before a stallion career beckons.
Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Victorious Racing, said: “He didn’t really like the ground at Longchamp and he was very brave to run through that. We think he prefers a firmer surface and hopefully the surface should suit us out there.
“Obviously it’s not an ideal draw in 12, but hopefully he can get forward and the big American horse Cogburn (trained by Steven Asmussen, in nine) is also drawn a bit wide so hopefully they can get across and it does not impede him too much. He retires to the National Stud after this run and hopefully he can run one last big race and show us what he can do again.”
Also making his final career appearance is Big Evs, who is another having to combat being positioned out wide in stall 11.
He gave handler Mick Appleby one of the biggest days of his career when scorching to Juvenile Turf Sprint glory at Santa Anita last year, but will arguably need a career best to replicate Wesley Ward’s Golden Pal and bring the curtain down on his career in style with a Breeders’ Cup double.
“He’s got a tough ask being stuck out wide and hopefully he can break well like he normally does, otherwise I think he will be up against it from that draw,” said Appleby.
“He’s in good form and we know he can come round the bend well, I just hope he can jump well so he can get a decent position coming round the bend. We’ve freshened him up since York and he’s absolutely bouncing. It’s nice to go back to America and it will be nice to go out with a win, but as long as he comes back safe, that is always the main thing.”
Ralph Beckett’s Starlust was third behind Big Evs at Santa Anita 12 months ago and could cap a phenomenal autumn for the Arc-winning handler and his jockey Rossa Ryan, while Charlie Appleby will saddle Star Of Mystery who has built up plenty of experience in the US this summer.
“Star of Mystery will need to break from the draw and then get the breaks in running,” said Appleby.
“She put up two good performances at Saratoga where on one occasion you couldn’t see her because she’s so small. She won easily on her second start and was probably an unlucky loser at Keeneland. I think she will be bang there.”
11.45 - Fanduel Breeders' Cup Mile
When it comes to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Charlie Appleby has been an unstoppable force and he now goes for a record fourth straight success with 2000 Guineas hero Notable Speech at Del Mar.
The Moulton Paddocks handler’s winning run began right here in the San Diego suburbs with Space Blues in 2021 and he has saddled Modern Games and Master Of The Seas to take home the prize for the last two years.
However, he now runs arguably his best contender yet in his Classic-winning son of Dubawi, who has shown his aptitude for a tight turning track when winning at Kempton in his early days and then his quality for red-hot assignments by scoring not only at Newmarket in the spring, but also in the Sussex Stakes.
Appleby said: “Notable Speech is in great form. If they go hard they will come back, but he’s one of those horses you would be comfortable about wherever he is during the race. He’s drawn six. I didn’t want to be any wider, but that gate still gives William (Buick, jockey) options. He’s an exciting horse and is, with his 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes wins, the highest-profile horse I’ve ever brought out here.”
Notable Speech was sunk by the ground in the Prix du Moulin last time out, with Appleby adding: “We know he doesn’t want soft ground, but he travelled and settled well and all the signs are good.”
The race lost some of its spice when Christopher Head’s Ramatuelle was ruled out of the race on Friday, but Notable Speech still faces a worthy adversary in Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna.
Second in the 1000 Guineas before landing the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, she has since cemented herself as one of Europe’s leading performers at the distance by adding Group One victories in the Falmouth Stakes and Matron Stakes.
“She ran a belter in the Guineas first time out and after that, she hasn’t missed a beat since,” said O’Brien.
“We’ve had a great year with her, it’s great to bring her back here and hopefully we can finish the year on a high. She’s trained very well, we’re very happy with her, she’s healthy and happy and everything has gone to plan, so all is good so far.”
Porta Fortuna will be partnered by Tom Marquand and the trip to Del Mar represents a chance to go one better than when just touched off at Santa Anita 12 month’s ago.
O’Brien added: “We learned last year that she handles it very well, she handles the travel good and she’s travelled over well again this year. You can never be sure how they will cope with a long flight like that and adjusting over here, it can be very different for them, but she’s got a great temperament, so we’re lucky that way.”
Chad Brown’s Carl Spackler and Tim Yakteen’s Johannes appear the pick of the US contingent, both arriving on a winning streak.
Rest of the action
Jayarebe can cap an excellent campaign when he bids to give Brian Meehan a third win in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The Zoffany colt has not let his connections down throughout a fantastic season that has seen him win three of his five starts and score in both the Hampton Court Stakes and at ParisLongchamp in the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend.
The Royal Ascot hero – who will again be ridden by Sean Levey – now heads to California looking to follow in the footsteps of Red Rocks (2006) and Dangerous Midge (2010), who have both won this event for the Manton handler in the past.
Meehan said: “He’s an adaptable type of horse and Sean knows him so well. The trip’s good, and he will switch between 10 and 12 furlongs next year. This has been on Jayarebe’s radar since the spring and all his form is good, whether you look at the Dollar, the Hampton Court or the Feilden.
“The Breeders’ Cup is my favourite meeting and it’s wonderful to be back. To win a championship race on another continent is very special.”
Also with history in the Turf are John Gosden and Frankie Dettori, who teamed up to win this race with the great Enable in 2018 and are reunited Stateside with Emily Upjohn.
The evergreen Italian, who relocated to America at the end of the 2023 British Flat season, has ridden the daughter of Sea The Stars to both her previous Group One victories and is a fitting pilot for what could be her career swansong.
Aidan O’Brien won this event with Auguste Rodin 12 months ago and will saddle both Luxembourg and British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes runner-up Wingspan.
Meanwhile, Charlie Appleby’s globetrotting star Rebel’s Romance looks to recapture the title he won in 2022, having regained the winning thread at Cologne in the Preis Von Europa.
“Everybody knows about Rebel’s Romance, who always runs with his heart on his sleeve, and I was delighted with his run in Germany,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.
“He left there with credit, as they went hard, while the winner and second came from off the pace. He was just getting a bit tired in the last hundred yards, and William (Buick, jockey) said he will improve a ton. This horse has built up his own fan club, and it would be fantastic if he were to win it again.”
The Godolphin trainer also has a strong hand in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with Cinderella’s Dream and Beautiful Love.
Both fillies have built up plenty of experience in America as part of Appleby’s satellite team and could give the handler his second victory in the race here at Del Mar, having saddled Wuheida to strike in 2017.
“Cinderella’s Dream won a race which was strange to watch and then had a long ship to Woodbine, where she had a touch of colic and couldn’t run,” said Appleby.
“I toyed with running her in the Queen Elizabeth but decided against it and now she looks great, and ready to go. Beautiful Love won a Grade Three in the Big A and was unlucky on her second start. She deserves to be there.”
Other British interest is provided by George Boughey’s Royal Ascot heroine Soprano, who has remained in the States since picking up a silver medal in Keeneland’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last month and now tries a mile and three furlongs for the first time in her career.
“She looks great and she has stayed out here since Keeneland when she was second in the QEII,” said Harry Herbert, managing director of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.
“I think she will get the trip round here and Billy Loughnane is convinced she needs that trip now to be seen at her best effect, so let’s hope he is right. You never know until you try.”
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